I am not sure about this??

At the time IL responded to the question I got the distinct impression that he hadn't understood the exact scenario given to him.
I was tempted to ask for clarification on the subject but to be honest couldnt be bothered as it was far more interesting (Not) listening to people ask such insightful questions re : Passing to our wingers, teaching Phelps to tackle & something inaudible regarding Steve Ganson?? !!!!!!!

To be honest I much preferred the info given to the fans rearding New Coaching appointments and the contracts for the younger players and the Accellerate squads plus Brian Nobles talk regarding Styles of play and recrtuitment etc.
The Q&A is getting to a situation where 80% of the questions are just cringeworthy!

I would like to get clarification on the FA Cup scenario (Not that it will be a problem for this year!) and also for the possible Play Off scenarios at the end fo the year.
Then again I am also realistic enough to know that IL has to play the cards that he's been dealt and this has been dictated to him through the mis management of the club in years gone by.
I thought hi remarks regarding "We will not build a New Stadium" and his reason why were AGAIN for the 3rd Time very well delivered however unfortunately will keep raising the subject time & time again instead of just getting on with it.

IL said "I could have killed him and you can quote me on that" but in the end theres not a great deal he can do.
It pains me to say it but better relationships with the Stadium Management company are essential in ensuring the best for Wigan R.L in future.
It's all very well and good people saying he should do this and he should do that but that's very easy sat behind a Keyboard whereas these people have to live & die by their actions.

Overall

Quite informative regarding Marketting,squad building,Youth development,Future initiatives etc

Q&A pretty awful - They should basically ask does anyone want to ask a question and the first 100 that put their hands up "Throw them out".
Too many people asking questions that if they had half a brain would realise that IL can only give a stock "No Comment" answer or similar.

PS

Agree with you Cruncher regarding people taking summarised info from fans and using this to attack certain persons within the club to suit their own argument is not a constructive way to do things and more a case of certain peoples egotistical "banter" to make people believe that "My arguments are better than anyone elses".
This IMO shows people who are more interested in being proven correct in their opinions and inflating their Ego's rather than Real interst in the well being of the club!

As said on 2 x previous threads (One about being optimistic about this season & 1 about Noble as our coach) these are some of the reasons for my optimism for the future and this season.

1/ IMO we have a better "Squad" than we have had for 5 or so seasons (And please do not quote our end of season squad we had 2006 as being better)
2/ The club have a better Youth Development Process/Pathway/Infrastructure/management than we have had for many many years! I thought Noble's comments re this situation VERY IMPRESSIVE! I cant remember his exact words but it was along the Lines of "IL has provided UNPARRALELLED support financially and in other ways to the development of Local talent, I have never been involved and know of no other club with the same level of commitment to Local talent".
This also inidcates that their is a Good (Maybe Not great) but good working relationship between the 2 and this can only be good for the club.
3/ He did say that Brian Noble had veto on all the signings, but you have to be realistic in that it has to work both ways!
If Noble wants a player and IL can afford it then we sign him, If we can't he says NO
If IL wants to sign a player because we can afford it but Noble says he doesnt want him then IL won't buy him, Noble nodded in agreement.
4/ The enthusiasm from Mick Hogan towards Marketing,Merchandise increasing attendances, increasing sposhorships, increasing links through local schools and community parnerships made be very optimistic that we will leave no stone unturned to return ourselves to the No1 club in Rugby League and IL said this was a 3 year plan to do so!
5/ The Backroom staff have been put in place & they ackowledged they havent shouted this from the rooftops but to see the 8 x new staff employed and in the areas they have been employed very comforting for the future development of the club
6/ I totally agree with Nobles comments re: the development of future Youth through the club : His comments about "They have to be good enough" and his use of them "With a Duty of Care" excellent and totally understandable. He wants them to have 15 years in the game not 15 months. He also stated that previous youngsters have suffered due to being exposed "Too early". You may agree/disagree but I believe he honestly has the best interests of these players at heart.

All of the above make me excited about the season ahead as I always am irrespective of the ups aand downs of the club but confident that the club is in the right hands for the future.

Whilst writing this I have also seen "PK" response to "Cruncher" over the Questions he wants answering on the night.

I would suggest a couple of things.

1/ Maybe you or certain people don't like the answers you are given that's why they keep getting repeated.
2/ If you don't like the answers then stopping asking the same drivelling questions that anyone with half a brain could telly you IL won't answer and I agree He shouldnt.
3/ If you want to know "Standard details" then ask "Standard queastions"!
4/ If you want to Know more then put your money were your mouth is a buy the club!

IL has provided the fans with more info in the last 12 months than we have been given in the last 12 years Yet he is still criticised!
We didnt have fans forums and the club never give us any info, we have them and the club don't give us enough info, we have more forums and they don't give us the right info! They don't give us the answers we like!

For god's sake!

It is apparent to me that certain fans want IL to enter into a Bar Room conversation regarding Wigan Rugby and give us all the secrets and "Inside Info" just to pander to our wants and needs!
This isnt going to happen!

I would like to do something quite strange for some of the people on here before I finish!

I Would Like to Thank both IL and his management Team & Brian Noble for the forum last Night AND for the stability and commitment to ensuring that once again Wigan RLFC are a Progressive club with a Positive, Optimistic & Bright Future! If Effort & Commitment off the field are indicators and a reflection of On the Field success then I feel confident that in the not too distant future Trophy's will be on display at the club in the future (Surely Mr Whelan won't have any Latics trophies to display there so he won't have a problem with this! )

I Know being optimistic & Positive on this board doesnt fit in with everyones agenda but I'm fed up with peoples Agendas and attemts to slag everyone/thing off at the club to fit in with those agendas!

PHEW

Off to bed for a lie down now!

Forgive me for not seeing everything through rose coloured glasses like you. I can't be all happy clappy like you when I see nothing to inspire me.

I don't expect to win trophies, I expect to see us move forward. We aren't in my opinion, and as traumatic as my opinion me be to you to send you into some e-rage, I'll continue to speak my mind.

We've played poor rugby for the last 5 or 6 seasons, it isn't a recent thing, and even though we reached a semi last year, I thought we played the most boring rugby I've seen since I first started watching Wigan 24 years ago.

If the players and staff at the club prove me wrong, I'll gladly eat my words and admit I was wrong. I want the best for the club, and I want to watch good rugby. Is that a crime to want to see a team who can actually entertain? I fail to see how losing Barret, and signing Riddell and Roberts will drastically change how we play the game. If you can please do as and we can discuss that.

As for not watching them this year because you're upset I have an opinion, I think I'll support them as always, I never said I wouldn't.

With regards to your summary then pretty much you summed it up 90% right.

However there were 1 or 2 poetic licenses used in your summary that after my positive rant I can't be bothered at present replying to.

I could PM you if you wanted me to be Exact in some of those Summaries.

Overall I was very impressed with Mick Hogan & Brian Noble & their obvious enthusiasm & commitment to bothe this season and the future of Wigan R.L.F.C!

If you could it would be appreciated.

Jukesay, I hope you are not including me in answer to the highlighted comments.

Far from it, your previous posts about finidng it unacceptable re the FA cup games etc is exactly right!
I want clarification on these points as I dont believe IL understood the scenario correctly before he answered.

With regards to peoples agendas I do have 1 or 2 people in mind but you are certainly not one of them!

Barring the FA Cup question I believe that IL gave a very good response to Every Reasonable question that was given to him!

I may not have liked his answers but I understood his reasonings behind them, that is the key point!
Some people only want to hear the responses that suit them or they like, thats never going to happen and I honestly hope that it never does!

I would rather IL upset a few fans with agendas and get the best deal for Wigan as a club than the other way round!

"PK" says he wants answers to standard questions, ask them on here And I will tell you the answers IL gave.
If he didnt give an answer I will give you the reason why he didnt give an answer and I 100% agree with his reasons not to do so!

Statistically we've been the third best team in the league for the past two years. We finished 6th in 2007 and 4th in 2008 so soon after the 2006 season. Is this not clear progression? I think we have seen progression in the players we have at the club as well.

- Gareth Hock for example has refound his form and has earnt himself a name as one of the best second rowers in the league.

- Joel Tomkins has progressed quickly after last season into a fine player and was unlucky not win young player of the year.

- Paul Prescott & Eamon O'carroll have grown with each game they've played and established themselves as super league players.

- Thomas Leuluai (still only young) seems to improve year on year and will have only got better with that world cup experience.


Just a few quick examples of the squad progressing. I think we have seen some brilliant rugby league in the last 2 year and also some poor rugby league which have sometimes got the results and sometimes haven't. I think we've just been inconsistant and this is what has got the fans , like yourself rattled. The play off matches for the past 2 season (Bradford and Hull 2007, Bradford and Les Catalans 08). The two last games of the season against Saints we have played some fantastic rugby. The games against Leeds in both seasons have seen us play some brilliant rugby. However we have not played good rugby at a consistant level and I think our new recruitment has replaced some inconsistant players with consistant performers at the highest level.

Mark Riddell for Mickey Higham. Mickey Higham was never consistant enough in his three years at Wigan. At times he was fantastic at other times he just went missing. We have replaced him with a player that has played NRL football at the highest level for over 178 NRL games. He's a proven player in the best competition in the world. He already looks a sharp player and I believe he will play very well on a consistant weekly basis.

Mark Calderwood for Amos Roberts - Amos Roberts another that has played well over 200 NRL games at the highest level and has a proven try scoring record. He's played consistantly well at the highest level, unlike Calderwood who went missing in most matches. Albeit I will acknowledge he didn't always get the service at times but nevertheless he did bomb some tries and chances that he had. However now we have Karl Pryce a ruthless powerhouse who will strike fear into any opposition as well as George Carmont who has proved to be quite an elusive strike player. Our winger will get the service!

I can fully understand Brian Noble's optamism and I am too. I think we are progressing as a young team and our plans for the future look very promising. Talks with linking up with an NRL club to help further develop our junior talent as well as an quick alliance team of our finest young players is a step forward in the right direction. Surely you can admit that? I think it's also good that this conincides with a particular strong crop of talented players coming through which stems us well for the future. We're planning ahead, the fact that we signed Amos Roberts for 2010 proves this. As mentioned in my summary some of the highest earners at the club are out of contract at the end of the season and will no doubt leave the club and free up room on the salary cap to add more quality players for 2010. I believe the future is bright and I believe Ian Lenegan and Brian Noble will prove any doubters they may have wrong.

Let's see shall we.

Good point, we all want whats best for Wigan RL dont we, thats the one thing we all have in common, and for now I will trust IL jugdement afterall we are no experts.

I think we have to trust our owner, afterall we dont have a good say in who owns our club. But do I think the club and team has improved since IL took over and do we appear to have a bright future? yes I beleive so.

Great rants Jukesays.

One thing that has come to light regarding the fixtures.

It appears that some compromises have been made by Latics.

They have 17 fixtures left until the end of the season.

10 are away and 7 at home, however some on here will think we have been lucky.

Did they say who the other coaches / backroom staff are? The video eludes to this but doesn't name them IIRC.